Save More of the Green That Matters

“Many an opportunity is lost because a man is out looking for four-leaf clovers.” -Anonymous.

This weekend, you’ll be seeing a lot of green—in the form of four-leaf clovers, leprechauns and the arch in the middle of the rainbow.

But the most popular green? Dollar bills. Now’s a great time to talk about the green that really matters and ask yourself, “What am I doing to save more of it?”

Here are a few tips:

Many of us have a portion of each paycheck deposited directly into our savings. Increase that amount by upping it 1%. It’s little enough that you probably won’t notice it, but big enough to make a difference. If you make $50,000 a year, that’s an extra $500.

Discover your own pot of gold. Gather all the loose change around your house and bring it to a Coinstar machine. Trade it in for a gift card and Coinstar won’t deduct a fee. Plus, you can get gift cards to grocers like Albertsons or Scolari’s to buy the things you really need.

Check out BillShrink to see if you can reduce wireless and TV bills. According to their website, 8 out of 10 people overpay for cell phone service.

Spend gift cards before you lose them (somewhere over the rainbow). Or, sell cards you’ll never use on a gift card exchange site like Plastic Jungle. They take a cut of at least 8%, but that’s still more than you get when it sits in your wallet for eternity.